Your top 3 "bang for buck" lenses?

I'll be boring and ad some more of the same:
Tamron 17-50 non-VC.
Canon 85mm F1.8
Canon 400mm F5.6

Fishfinder71 wrote in post #15005385
Canon 18-135mm STM

Believe it or not it's a kit lens that comes with the T4i. It isn't half bad. I'm actually shocked how great this lens is... for what it is.

I agree.

I bought the 18-135 STM for videos on my EOS M. I found it very good for stills also. It is now my do everything lens.

Even though they arent necessarily "cheap" lenses, they are compared to their Canon counterparts. I would say:
Sigma 30 1.4,
Sigma 17-50 2.8
Sigma 70-200 2.8.

5W0L3 wrote in post #14293557
What are your top 3 "bang for buck" lenses?

- Cheapest in cost, yet highest in IQ / Sharpness / colours etc. (for that money)
- Can be any EF/EFS lens (canon or third party)
- Any lens APART FROM 50mm 1.8 (which is obviously at the top of this list)

Canon 40 f/2.8 STM (great sharpness, even wide open unlike the 50mm f/1.8).

Canon 18-135 STM 2/3 of the price of 15-85, but with similar sharpness (from what I read), but more range. Terrific walkaround lens

Sigma 30 f/1.4 Art (haven't used it). No other lens for Canon that lets in that much light for that price range.

Mine would be: (Strictly, low price to performance)
85 1.8
50 1.8 (Mark I)
135 f2

I also consider the 28-135 IS good for its intended use in Video considering the price

First, the newer Tamron 24 - 70 f2.8 fantastic value over the Canon version and it has IS and IQ is great.
Second, Canon 70 - 200 f4 IS, great value over the f2.8 version.
My third choice does not count because it is not a good bang for the buck but my favorite lens is my 500mm.

Canon 24 to 105
Canon 70 to 200 f4
Canon 85 1.8

Canon EF 24-85mm f3.5-4.5
Canon EF 40mm f2.8
Canon EF 70-200mm f4L non-IS

I'd say :
- Samyang/Rokinon/etc 14 mm 2.8
- Canon 40mm 2.8 STM
- Tamron 24-70 2.8

Even on Zack Arias Photography Q&A book, if he was starting from scratch again, his 2 lens choice on a 5DII were:
EF 35mm f/2
EF 85mm f/1.8

Best value for the $ of lenses that I have personal experience with are -

Rokinon 85 1.4 (given the drawbacks of all manual shooting, this lens is great)
Tamron 17-50 (got rid of it when I went to FF but it was awesome)
Tamron 28-75 (great for around $300 used)
Canon 100 non L - (When I came across this lens I could not believe how sharp)
Tamron 70-200 2.8 - (didn't use it a lot but the only difference between tamron and the canon version is the AF, which is significant but maybe not twice-the-price significant.

17-40 f/4 L, 70-200 f/4 L, and the 28-135 USM are all great performers for what you can find them for used.

however, for bang-for-the-buck, you can't beat old manual-focus lenses. I have a handful of M42-mount lenses and while they aren't for everything (long-throw manual focusing isn't exactly ideal for shooting action), they are insanely cheap. I've never paid more than $30 for a manual lens.

Canon 85 f/1.8
Canon 70-200 f/4 IS
Canon 135 f/2

From what I've owned, they would be

Sigma 150-500 OS - fantastic venture into long telephoto and how much OS helps a long lens
Canon 135mm f2 - outstanding sharpness, colours and bokeh that could easily earn you some money
Tamron 17-50 2.8 - oustanding for the price, especially compared to the full frame options

Samyang 14mm f/2.8
Samyang 35mm f/1.4
Samyang 85mm f/1.4

I like to MF

I can't wait for their 50mm and 135mm (whenever that'll be).